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The Government has announced a sweeping ban on spiny rock lobster fishing along the upper east coast of the North Island, in a bid to rebuild depleted stocks and protect marine ecosystems. 

Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones confirmed today the “milestone” closure will take effect from April 1 next year and will remain in place for five years or until crayfish numbers recover sufficiently to allow fishing to resume. 

The closure covers all of the CRA2 fishery zone not already protected and half of CRA1, stretching from Ohao Point, including Pārengarenga Harbour, to Cape Rodney, creating a near-continuous chain of restrictions down to the Coromandel Peninsula. 

The yellow area of the map shows the newly defined crayfishing ban area, to take effect for recreational and commercial fishers from April 1 next year. NZ Herald graphic 

Jones said the decision was driven by urgent concerns over low crayfish numbers and the need to restore ecological balance. 

“Rock lobsters play an important role in the marine ecosystem by helping keep kina numbers in check. The changes I am making will help restore balance by increasing the numbers and size of spiny rock lobsters in the fishery.” 

Most commercial operators had already stopped fishing under a voluntary closure, but Jones said stronger measures were needed. 

“I commend the industry on taking action… However, I consider that further measures for both commercial and recreational fishers are needed to give the fishery the best opportunity for recovery.” 

Key changes: 

• Total closure of the east coast side of CRA 1 from Northland to Cape Rodney. 
• Recreational daily limit cut to two lobsters per person in CRA 1, including Northland’s west coast. 
• Additional closure in CRA 2 between Te Ārai Point and the inner Hauraki Gulf. 
• Nationwide recreational limit of three packhorse lobsters per person per day to prevent switching pressure. 

Consultation drew more than 600 submissions and began after the commercial sector raised alarms in 2024, Jones said. Recent High Court findings after actions brought by Northland’s HikiHiki hapū, also informed the ban. 

Jones used the announcement to counter claims he lacked resolve on fisheries management: “This [ban] shows our Government is resolute to effect sustainability outcomes when taonga species are at threat.” 

He also hit back at Northland fishing personality Matt Watson, who supports the ban but blames “the greed of a few” and poor quota management for the collapse. 

“The fisheries haven’t been managed well on our behalf. There’s been too much quota, too much has been taken,” Watson said. 

He accused successive ministers of running fisheries on a “maximum sustainable yield” basis – “fish it till the absolute brink” – which he says is anything but sustainable. 

Watson claimed commercial fishing sector interests were always at the core of decisions, while the value of the recreational fishing sector to New Zealand’s economy – $1.1 billion annually – is ignored. 

Matt Watson, who dives weekly in Northland, says he doesn't normally take crayfish but has nonetheless noticed a dramatic downturn in crayfish numbers in the past 18 months. 

Jones dismissed Watson’s criticism as an “unhinged crusade against commercial fisheries”, adding: “No Kiwi has commercialised his identity more through fisheries than Watson.” 

He warned that any suggestion of the Government confiscating quota to satisfy opponents was unrealistic and would likely lead to massive compensation claims. 

“These [commercial operators] are fellow New Zealanders who have property rights [quota]. They employ people; their boats all have cameras. No recreational boat, which in many cases are much larger than commercial fishing boats, has mandated cameras.” 

Asked whether the ban on the east coast would simply shift more pressure to the west coast and cause similar problems there, Jones said: “It will be incumbent on the officials and the scientists over the next five years to carefully monitor the biological impact of any displacement of the crayfishing impact.” 

Jones said any future decisions could only be guided by scientific evidence. 

Marine scientists strongly support the ban, saying crayfish are vital in preventing kelp forests from collapsing into kina barrens. 

Dr Benn Hanns of the University of Auckland called the decision “an important step towards holistic ecosystem-based management”. 

He cautioned recovery could take decades under warming seas, which reduce larval settlement: “It is therefore vital this decision is not just a flash-in-the-pan closure, but set in place for a suitable period.” 

Dr Christopher Cornwall of Victoria University of Wellington agreed and said a long-term ban was essential to avoid irreversible damage. 

Sarah Curtis is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, focusing on a wide range of issues. She has nearly 20 years’ experience in journalism, most of which she spent court reporting in Gisborne and on the East Coast.